Starmer to Push Hillsborough Law Through Commons in Final Week
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to use his last days in office to advance the Hillsborough law, which aims to strengthen accountability after major disasters, after months of delays and negotiations over national security exemptions.
Keir Starmer is expected to use his final week as prime minister to push the Hillsborough law through its remaining stages in the House of Commons after months of delays. The legislation, officially known as the public office (accountability) bill, seeks to strengthen support for families seeking justice after major disasters and create new offences for officials who deliberately mislead the public or block accountability.
The bill is named after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 Liverpool fans died in a crush at an FA Cup semi-final. A landmark inquest in 2016 found that the fans were unlawfully killed and that their behaviour played no part in the tragedy, contrary to false claims by police. The families' decades-long fight for justice exposed repeated failings by public bodies, including South Yorkshire Police.
The progress of the bill was delayed after the government clashed with campaigners over how it should apply to intelligence services. Ministers initially proposed allowing intelligence chiefs to decide whether information could be disclosed during investigations where national security was at stake. This led to a backlash from Hillsborough families and Labour MPs, who argued it would undermine the central purpose of the law. The government later dropped that amendment but continued talks on how to protect sensitive intelligence while preserving the bill's core intent.
Confusion over the bill's timing arose again last week, when Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary David Lammy said he was confident it would return "in the coming days", while other government figures suggested it might not come back until after the summer recess, when Starmer will no longer be prime minister. On Tuesday, parliamentary business was updated to include the bill's remaining Commons stages, paving the way for approval before it moves to the House of Lords.
If the bill clears the Commons this week, it would be a significant step toward embedding a legal duty of candour across public authorities, a goal campaigners believe will help prevent cover-ups after disasters. For Hillsborough families, the journey has been marked by months of uncertainty and setbacks, but the timing gives Starmer a chance to leave office fulfilling one of his most defining promises.
